1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile terminal concentration equipment and a remote operation control system therefor in facsimile communication systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of a principal portion of such a type of facsimile communication system. In FIG. 21, 11 to 1n represents terminal units such as G3FAX (Group 3 Facsimile Apparatus for transmitting and receiving a facsimile message (or telegram), and 2 designates a facsimile mail equipment (FME) for the transmission and reception of packet data of the facsimile message which further has various user service functions. Further, illustrated at 3 is a facsimile terminal concentration equipment (FCE) for establishing communications with the plurality of facsimile terminal units 11 to 1n to temporarily store in a fixed disk a facsimile message transmitted from the operated facsimile terminal unit and to then convert it into packet data to transmit the converted packet data to the facsimile mail equipment 2 and further for temporarily storing in the fixed disk packet data transmitted from the facsimile mail equipment 2 and then converting it into a facsimile message to transmit the converted facsimile message to the addressed facsimile terminal unit. Numeral 4 is a telephone network or PBX for establishing the communications between the facsimile terminal units 11 to 1n and the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3, and 5 depicts a packet network for establishing the communications between the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 and the facsimile mail equipment 2.
Secondly, a description will be made hereinbelow in terms of the operation. The facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 temporarily stores a facsimile message transmitted from the facsimile terminal unit 11, for example, in a fixed disk and then converts it into packet data to transmit the packet data to facsimile mail equipment 2. Further, the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 temporarily stores packet data (facsimile message packeted) transmitted from the facsimile mail equipment 2 in the fixed disk and then converts it into a facsimile message to transmit the converted facsimile message to the facsimile terminal unit 1n, for example. Between the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 and the facsimile mail equipment 2 there is always established a virtual call (call due to the communication code) which is arranged so as not to be disconnected in normal conditions. In case of the disconnection of this virtual call, a trouble monitoring function of the facsimile mail equipment 2 regards the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 or a packet network 5 as being in a fault state.
Here, the conventional facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 to be used in such a facsimile communication system is not arranged to be remotely controllable through the facsimile mail equipment 2. Accordingly, in the case of change of the network data of the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3, change of the load module, supply of various commands and others, it is required to supply the various commands through a control terminal unit (not shown) which is directly coupled to the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 and to change the load module and others through a floppy disk driver provided in the equipment 3. Thus, there is a problem that, in the case that the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3 is placed remotely from the facsimile mail equipment 2, for performing the various operations, the operator is required to go to the installation place of the facsimile terminal concentration equipment 3.